Random Thoughts

An exercise in futility

By Leonado Micua

IN last session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) minority floor leaderRedford Erfe-Mejia literally trained his guns on his colleagues who did not support him, particularly refusing to support two of the resolutions he filed before the floor.

He moved for the passage of the two resolutions one after the other but it was like being slapped on the face when not even one of his fellow councilors,raised his hand to second his motions.

Without being seconded, his two proposed measures promptly “died a natural death.”

Vice Mayor and SP presiding officer Brian Lim did not mince words when he ruled that since he heard no second for the two motions, these could not can be discussed further.

This is really the dilemma of a one-man minority in the august chamber. Because of the principle that in a democracy, the majority rules, and no matter how good the intentions are, these cannot go through the legislative mill without anyone seconding a motion.

The eleven councilors in the majority in the chamber today are allied with the city executive, so that leaves only one in that chamber in the minority. The majority, composed of nine elected councilors and two ex-officio councilors, can never be swayed to be subservient to the wishes of a one-man minority.

No amount of bullying from the minority councilor can make them change face,especially now that election is now just few months away.

Erfe-Mejia should not fault his colleagues for refusing to support his resolutions simply because they decided to toe a party line on those two measures. It’s as simple as that.The councilor from Tapuac should understand that that’s how the system works.

Councilor Jose Netu Tamayo was right when he said he did not find the need to stand up to rebuke Erfe-Mejia for accusing his fellow councilors for their “betrayal of the trust and confidence” of the people who voted for them. He said that if he did, he would have risked being declared “out of order” by the chair after the latter he already ruled that no further discussions can be made on the two measures since no one seconded them.

I heard that Erfe-Mejia sought the re-calendaring of one his resolutions to be tackled again in next SP session. But I believe this will still not get any support from the other councilors. Another exercise in futility.

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Somebody told me that the city government is installing more traffic lights and CCTV cameras in some other strategic parts of the city.

They said these had long been promised by Mayor Belen Fernandez and they are happy these are finally being realized now.

I told this guy that Mayor Belen is unlike the past mayor who launched projects without budgeted funds, plans and specifications, and worse, without any bidding to award projects to qualified contractors.

She ensures that every project being built by her administration go through the proper legal procedures to prevent anyone from filing of suits on suspicion of irregularity.

Remember that two-storey building near West Central Elementary School II tha thad no budge, not even a contract executed by then Mayor Benjamin Lim and a contractor? The building, although already completed, is now a virtual white elephant because it is the subject of an ongoing court arbitration.

During the KBP Forum two weeks ago, Mayor Belen said designs for the proposed new city hall still have not undergone bidding because of some revisions that had to be made. She said she wants to make it sure that there will be no short cuts in the legal process.

The design for the new city hall is the next concern now that the backfilling of the proposed site in Barangay Pantal, along the Jose de Venecia ExpresswayExtension is nearing completion.

She added that simultaneously with the backfilling, is the construction of aboard walk at the back of the proposed city hall site, which will be built with the support of Fourth District Congressman Christopher de Venecia.

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Some politicians appeared to be riding on the crest of the reported raid by the National Bureau ofInvestigation (NBI) and Bureau of Internal Revenue in Barangay Portic, Bugallon where they discovered a factory of fake cigarettes.

Although investigation of the case by NBI, BIR and the Bureau of Immigration is still ongoing, some politicians already trained their guns on fellow politicians based on mere speculations. Nauseating.